Tray



Jua m 1932. FRASER 31,%?,738

TRAY

Filed Feb. 5, 1931 WITNESSES 5 INVENTOR:

Patented July 19, 1932 ALLAN FRASER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA TRAY Application fiIed February 5, 1931. Serial No. 513,607.

This invention relates to receptacles in the nature of trays, and it has reference more particularly to desk trays for holding letter sheets and the like in pile formation.

With desk trays, as ordinarily constructed, the removal of individual sheets from the piles placed within them, or the insertion of individual sheets into the piles, is not only difiicult and awkward of accomplishment, but ordinarily entails the derangement of the entire contents, with attendant inconvenience and loss of time. a

My invention has for its main objectto overcome the drawbacks above pointed out, and this desideratum I attain, as hereinafter fully disclosed, through provision of a tray having facilities in the form of interruptions or apertures in its sides and bottom whereat the edges of the sheet pile are exposed and thereby rendered readily accessible for convenience of manipulation in removing or inserting individual sheets.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be manifest from the detailed description following in connection with the attached drawing, wherein Fig. I shows a perspective view of my improved tray in one preferred form.

Fig. II shows a cross sectional view of the tray taken as indicated by the line and arrows II--II in Fig. I; and

Fig. III is a longitudinal sectional view taken as indicated by the lineand arrows IIIIII in Fig. I.

For the purposes of illustration herein, I have shown my invention as embodied in a tray of rectangular configuration comprisin a bottom 5, side retaining walls 6, 7 and en walls 8, 9, the tray being so proportioned as to snugly hold a multiplicity of paper sheets S of standard dimensions,for example, letter sheetsin stack or pile formation. In the present instance, the four walls or sides 6-9 of the tray are interrupted centrally with provision of notches 10, 11, 12 and 13, which, as shown, extend part way into the bottom 5. By virtue of this construction, the edges of the sheets S are rendered accessible at intervals about the tray for convenience of manipulation either in withdrawing. in-

on the tray is resting. Moreover, any of the opposite (or adjacent) pairs of apertures e. g., 10, 11 or 12, 13 (or 10, 13 or 11, 13)- allow the fingers of both hands to be used concurrently in manipulating the sheets; i. e., a

not only'do the openings 10, 11, 12, 13 individually promote ready access of the fingers to the sheets in the tray, but any two of these openings coact to facilitate manipulating or sorting through the sheets.

The tray can be used as a letter file by employing in connection therewith and between the sheets making up its contents, cardboard separators, such as indicated in dot and dash lines at 15 in Fi I, with an index tab 16 to project outward through the access notch in one of the tray sides or ends. Such separators may be lifted either by their projecting tabs, or by engaging their edges at any one of the other access notches.

My improved tray obviously lends itself to economical construction from wood, fiber, composition, metal or wire mesh in different sizes and shapes, and with one or more access notches in any one or all of its sides as may be desired or required.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction and arrangement of the tray herein .set forth by way of example. In other words, I wish to be accorded the right to all modifications and variations falling within the scope of the attached claims; and moreover to be at liberty to adapt the tray to any and all uses which may suggest themselves in practice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A receptacle for holding a pile of sheets and rendering them accessible, comprising a bottom and side walls, there being in one side wall and the bottom an aperture in such form as to promote ready access of the fingers to the sheets when contained in the receptacle, and there also being another such aperture so provided in another side Wall and the bottom as to coactwith the first-mentioned aperture to facilitate sorting through the sheets.

2. A receptacle for holding a pile of sheets and rendering them accessible, comprising a bottom and side walls, said side walls and bottom bein apertured, at opposite'sides of the receptac e, in such manner as to promote ready access of the fingers to the sheets whe contained in the receptacle.

3. A receptacle for holding a pile of sheets and rendering them accessible, comprising a bottom and side walls, two of the adjacent side walls having formed therein apertures which also extend into the bottom, in such manner as to promote ready access of the fin ers throu h the res ective a ertures to i b C.

the corresponding edges of the'sheets when contained in the receptacle.

4. A rectangular receptacle for holding a pile of sheets and rendering them accessible comprising a bottom and side walls, said side walls, and bottom being apertured, centrally of all four sides of the receptacle, in such manner as to promote ready access of the fingers to the sheets when contained in the receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this second day of February, 1931.

ALLAN FRASER. 

